COBLESKILL WOMEN NAMED TO 2008 ALL-MVC BASKETBALLTEAM

Four members of the SUNY Cobleskill women’s basketball team have been named to the 2008 All-Mountain Valley Conference Team by the league’s coaches. Fighting Tiger freshman center Shelley Pierson, Watervliet, NY, Watervliet High School, was named to the conference’s First Team while senior forward April Ackermann, South Huntington, NY, Sullivan West High School, and freshman forward Sharee Daniels, Poughkeepsie, NY, F.D. Roosevelt High School, were named to the conference’s Second Team. Freshman point guard Nichole Garzon, Bayside, NY, Benjamin Cardozo High School, also earned all-conference honors with a place on the league’s Third Team. The talented group led the team to the semifinal round of the 2008 NJCAA Region III Division III Championship with a program single season best overall record of 25-5 after finishing in second place in conference play with an 11-3 record.

(Pictured Left) The 6’3” Pierson over powered the opposition to lead the Fighting Tigers in scoring averaging 11.3 points per game, rebounding averaging 7.9 per game, blocked shots at 2.5 per game, to go with 1.9 steals and 1.3 assists per game while converting on 139-of-263 shots from the floor for a shooting percentage of 52.9%. The Watervliet native was also earlier named to the NJCAA Region III Division III First Team by the region’s coaches.

(Pictured Right) April Ackermann earned a spot on the All-Mountain Valley Conference team for the second consecutive season after averaging 7.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 0.6 assists and 0.5 blocked shots per game this season while converting on 76-of-164 shots from the field for a shooting percentage of 46.3% including 21-of-57 from three-point range for a team leading 36.8% mark. She also converted on 22-of-31 free three attempts shooting 71.0% from the line for the season. For her work the talented forward was also honored as an Honorable All-Region III Selection by the region’s coaches.

Joining Ackermann on the league’s second team was Sharee Daniels (Pictured Left) whose energetic physical style of play during the campaign led to her averaging 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.3 assists per game. Daniels connected on 97-of-247 shot attempts for a 39.3% field goal percentage and was 40-for-63 on the season from the free throw line for a 63.5% average on the season.
 
Despite being plagued by injuries throughout the year, Nichole Garzon (Pictured Right) proved to be the catalyst for the Cobleskill offense this season averaging 8.8 points, 2.0 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game this season as both a starter and off the bench. The scrappy point guard shot 84-of-203 from the field for a shooting percentage of 41.4% and converted on 61.4% of her free throw attempts hitting on 62-of-101 this season.

“This was a really good group of talented kids who bought into the what our program is all about and from the day they stepped on campus worked diligently to expand and improve their games; which they really did,” said Fighting Tiger Head Coach Josh Suttles. “Their leadership drove us to play hard, play unselfishly and to play as a team. By blending their individual talents together it set the stage for us to have the best season in the history of the program. It has been a pleasure to work with them this year and I am extremely proud of them.”